Listening to the offseason buzz, one might think the Ohio State offense this year will resemble
a three-ring circus.

Not only do the Buckeyes return a senior quarterback, both starting receivers, four starting
linemen and a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back, but there is heady talk of new formations,
new schemes and a certain freshman quarterback who, if one believes the hype, might end up
reinventing the game.

Cue the calliope. Ponies and pistols and Pryor, oh my!

But when confronted with the question of just how different the 2008 offense might look, the
aforementioned Heisman candidate gave a blank stare.

"I don't really think it will look different," running back Chris "Beanie" Wells said. "I think
it will be the same old traditional Ohio State football."

Really? Three yards and a cloud of rubber particles?

"Yup," Wells said, but his expression had changed slightly. There was a hint of a smile, as if
he were practicing his best Mona Lisa impression.

That's about all the information gleaned so far on potential new plans and schemes. Coaches and
players have been talking vaguely at best. This offering from quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels is
typical:

"Change is always part of it," he said. "Sometimes it could be very subtle changes and sometimes
it could be major changes. We're looking at a lot of different things."

Peeks behind the practice curtain are few and far between, so it's only an educated guess what
might be in the works. But here are a few likely new points of emphasis for this season:

The Pony backfield

This was the talk of spring ball. It features Wells and sophomore tailback Brandon Saine lining
up as split backs. It was designed to feature the multiple talents of Saine and keep defenses
guessing: Will he block, take a handoff or go out for a pass?

The Buckeyes looked to Saine occasionally last year -- enough to know he can catch, with a
35-yard grab against Kent State and a 44-yarder against Louisiana State. They would like to
increase Saine's 62 touches this fall.

"Jack of all trades and master of a lot" is how coach Jim Tressel described him. "We really have
high expectations for what he can contribute."

Saine clearly is pleased with his new role.

"It's really fun, because I get to move around and not just play one position," he said. "It's
fun catching the ball out of the backfield and having space to move with it."

But there's a drawback to this, Tressel said. It takes Wells out of the 'I' formation, from
where he pounded out the majority of his 1,609 rushing yards last season.

"If I were a defensive coach, I would like to see Beanie at a split back (and) not running
downhill at me," Tressel said. "Every time he's not in the 'I', I'd be happy if I was a defensive
coach, so I don't want to make the defensive coaches happy."

That leads to:

The Pistol formation

Keen observers of OSU's televised practice last Tuesday on the Big Ten Network noticed
quarterback Todd Boeckman took some snaps in a shallow shotgun position, with Wells directly behind
him rather than to the side.

This is called the Pistol, and the Buckeyes saw some of it when they watched LSU tape before the
title game. The idea is partly to keep the defense guessing. They can't key on a strong side or
weak side with the back directly behind the quarterback.

Meanwhile, the back gets more momentum toward the line than he would in a traditional shotgun,
and he enjoys a clear field of vision without a fullback in the way.

And finally, no story on Ohio State's offense in 2008 would be complete without a discussion of
freshman quarterback

Terrelle Pryor

Tressel has agreed with observers who compare the Buckeyes' situation to that of Florida in
2006, when freshman Tim Tebow ran a package of plays to complement steady starter Chris Leak.

And this is where the Buckeyes' vagueness to talk about their plans is genuine. Right now, less
than a week into camp, it is too early to tell how quickly Pryor is catching on. How that process
goes will determine how extensively he is used.

"Terrelle is still learning," center Jim Cordle said. "Before we can put him on the field, he's
got to prove that he's not going to fumble the ball or not going to make an errant pass or
something. So we'll see how things work out."

One thing is pretty clear. Tressel and his staff have an ideal combination to work with this
fall -- experience, a veteran line and plenty of speed.

And, oh yeah, they still have Wells' favorite scheme, too.

"Right now, we're working on the same things we always go back to: Power iso, all our bread and
butter," Cordle said. "Some exciting stuff is in there, though, yeah."